The number and types of electronic devices available to consumers have increased tremendously the past few years and this increase shows no signs of abating. Devices such as portable computing devices, tablet, desktop, and all-in-one computers, cell, smart, and media phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors and other devices have become ubiquitous.
Power and data may be provided from one electronic device to another over cables that may include one or more wires, fiber optic cables, or other conductors. Connector inserts may be located at each end of these cables and may be inserted into connector receptacles in the communicating or power transferring electronic devices.
These connector inserts may have various contacts. For example, a Universal Serial Bus Type-C connector insert may have signal and power contacts on a top and bottom side of a recess. Additional ground contacts may be located between the signal and power contacts and a front opening of the recess. The additional ground contacts may be connected to a shield, wherein the shield is located around the signal and power contacts, and wherein the shield of the connector insert is arranged to fit in a corresponding connector receptacle.
These connector inserts may mate with corresponding connector receptacles that have a tongue arranged to fit in the recess in the connector insert. The connector receptacle tongue may support signal and power contacts to mate with the signal and power contacts of the connector insert. The connector receptacle tongue may also have ground contacts behind the signal and power contacts to mate with the ground contacts near the front of the connector insert.
As a connector insert is inserted into a corresponding connector receptacle, the ground contacts of the connector insert may form transitory electrical connections with the signal and power contacts on the connector receptacle tongue. These temporary electrical connections may produce stray voltages on the contacts. These stray voltages may damage circuits in the electronic device that are connected to these contacts.
Thus, what is needed are methods and structures that may protect circuitry in an electronic device from stray voltages when a connector insert is inserted into a connector receptacle housed in the electronic device.